Apple’s Crazy iPad Naming Scheme

By John Martellaro

Oct 23rd, 2012 4:19 PM EDT

When we transitioned from the iPad to the iPad 2, all was well. Then, we had the notorious “new iPad,” and we got the feeling that Apple was just being contrarian and silly. Now, the new iPad is the old iPad.... oh, wait. It gets worse.

When Phil Schiller introduced the latest 9.7-inch iPad, he called it the 4th generation iPad. That makes some sense because even though the so-called” iPad 3” was declared the “new iPad” by Apple, there was some use of the term “3rd generation” at the Apple online store.

To make things perfectly clear, of course.

And what is Apple calling the 4th generation iPad? Looking at the online store comparison chart, we see “iPad with Retina display.” Now that’s helpful, isn’t it, considering that the 3rd generation iPad also has a Retina display.

But Apple isn’t sliding the new iPad (3rd gen) down the line. Nope. It’s still selling the iPad 2 as the middle of the line product. So where does the 3rd gen iPad go? You know, the one with the Retina display? Oblivion.

Today's iPad line. Image Credit: Apple

The net result of all this is vast potential for confusion. We’ll all just throw up our hands and declare that we have iPads, first, second, third and fourth generation (plus the mini) and not even use Apple’s nomenclature. Then, for those readers who are even more confused by the journalist’s attempt at simplification, they’ll check Apple’s website. And we know what will happen then.

More confusion.

Here’s what we have so far:

Generation

What Apple calls it

What we call it

1st

iPad

iPad

2nd

iPad 2

iPad 2

3rd

new iPad

iPad 3

4th

iPad with
Retina display

iPad 4

Next year, of course, we can look forward to, I presume, the “new iPad mini.”